Just as you schedule time for exercise, your "me" time needs to be reserved, too. Learning to say no can be a powerful tool in maintaining your beauty—and your sanity. Don't let regular haircuts turn into twice-a-year salon visits, or abandon your weekly face masks. If you make yourself your last priority, your needs may fall off your schedule completely.
Learn how to strike your beauty/work/life balance by saying no.
You spend all this time improving the way you look and feel through exercise and diet. But, a little makeup can do wonders even in a time crunch. Is it possible to do your makeup in 3 minutes? Whether you've just completed a workout and need to freshen up or you're running straight from work to meet friends, you'll benefit from a pre-packed emergency makeup kit. Find out what basic products you should have with you at all times.
Let's get real, ladies . . . to stay afloat during these tough economic times we'd give up just about anything EXCEPT our beauty products! I'm sure I speak for all of my sisters-in-beauty when I say that there are just some things we refuse to live without, and beauty products are definitely in that category!
So, how do we stay pretty in these ugly times?
Click here to read about our top 5 products that are just as good as their counterparts, and in some cases, even better!
When you lead an active lifestyle, it's important to take time to recover and recharge. Find out how to get an extraordinary deal on luxury spa treatments all over the U.S. during the upcoming Spa Week.
Click here to read about more about Spa Week!
It's chilly out there and you may not realize that certain things we do contribute to our dry skin. For example, I happen to love blasting the hot water in the shower so I defrost like a snowwoman in the morning, and I love leaving the space heater on all day to stay cozy. However, both of these suck the moisture from skin and leave it itchy and dry.
Click here for some tips to keep your skin hydrated and protected even in cold weather.
Fads come and go. But trends reflect a true shift in value. It’s 2010. These days, you may value time more than material things, want proof that something works, and long to treat yourself with affordable luxury. These are some of the trends emerging in the market this year, and just what we provide for you at Breakthrough in Beauty.
Inside Out Beauty
We now know that we can enhance our outer beauty not only with what we put on our skin, but with what we put in our body. You can drink yourself beautiful with vitamin- and antioxidant-enriched drinks such as Timeless Secret® Pu-erh Tea, which enhances your skin from the inside out.
Beauty Routine Time Savers
Lack of time does not have to mean lack of beauty. To help you juggle your responsibilities and simplify your life, simplify your beauty routine with multi-tasking products. If a product cleanses, tones, and exfoliates all in one, more power to it! To further accommodate your busy schedule, there are even spas now open 24 hours a day! Amen to that.
Beauty Product Backstory
More and more, companies will reveal to you their story of why they developed a product, what went into it, and why it’s special to them. Sometimes we choose to support a company when their values are aligned with ours. It’s similar to dating. If we like what a man stands for and respect where he’s coming from, we’re more likely to want to get to know him better.
Beauty at your Fingertips
You no longer need to visit a department store or beauty supply to find your favorite new products. You may catch a segment of an infomercial or a home shopping show, research beauty tips online, and make purchases on the phone or internet without ever leaving your home! There are beauty kiosk machines at airports and Fred Segal stores that carry various lines of beauty products, so you can purchase your favorite items on the go. More and more products can now be shipped to you more conveniently—anywhere in the world—and even on a schedule so you don’t have to think about reordering when you run out.
SPF Acceptance to Protect Skin from Sun
More women now realize how important sun protection is in the fight against aging skin and what an important role sunscreen plays in protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. It’s more widely known that sunscreen needs to be worn even when the weather doesn’t appear to be sunny, and that it should be applied to the body as often as the face. Thus more and more products contain SPF. Several foundations and even mineral veils include SPF 15 or 20. Even tanning lotions and spray now have SPF in them to protect the skin.
High Performance Beauty Products at Affordable Prices (Glamonomics)
Special indulgences don’t have to be a far-off fantasy. There are ways to treat yourself with high-performance products at affordable prices. You can whiten your teeth with strips you can buy in a drugstore, buy celebrity makeup artist brands at Target, and get top-quality anti-aging skincare at a fraction of the price through Breakthrough in Beauty. Extravagance doesn’t have to cost extra.
Tried, Tested, and True Beauty Products
If you’re tired of untruths and empty claims, why not buy products that have been rigorously tested so you can see proven results before you waste your time or money? At least that’s how we approach it. We know you want products that work, and we are starting the trend. Before we recommend any product, we put it through rigorous clinical testing to see if it lives up to its claims, and we show you the results so you can make informed decisions about your skincare and beauty products.
Organic Beauty Products - Green is the new black.
Natural and organic products are on the rise. What’s not in a product is becoming almost as important as what is in the product. More and more women want products that won’t harm their bodies, or animals, or the environment. Look for certified organic labels on products and become familiar with potentially harmful ingredients to avoid.
Anti-Aging Products: Women are lining up to erase lines
20 is the new 30 for those looking to prevent and reverse the visible signs of aging. More and more women are starting to protect their skin from the signs of aging in their 20s as opposed to starting later. Toners and makeup colors may come and go, but anti-aging products are here to stay. New ingredients are being discovered, along with advanced technology and innovative ways to prevent and reverse the signs of aging. Anti-aging ingredients are showing up in makeup and even in hair care.
Makeup Trend - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
As for makeup trends, it’s all about the eyes. Now is a time to focus on emphasizing the eyes. Define and play up the smoky eye while making the lips neutral to keep a single focus. You can go to your local Sephora and get a free lesson in applying makeup. There’s also an increased fascination with eyebrows. All types of home eyebrow-shaping kits are becoming popular.
*Trends provided by the Benchmarking Company, beauty research and branding specialists.
by Yi Hsin
It's a new year. Out with the old and in with the new—even beauty products. It's time to take a look through your bathroom cabinets and finally toss out those expired products that have been sitting around for years. There aren't any hard-and-fast rules for exactly when to throw out old makeup or skincare products, but keep in mind:
Organic products have a very short shelf life because of the preservatives used in these types of products so make sure to smell your product and look out for color changes. After some time, products can lose their effectiveness, but they can also develop odors, discoloration, bacteria, and even mold. Do you really want to apply that to your skin?
To keep skincare products effective longer and slow the growth of bacteria, store them in a cool, dark place and don’t open new products until you’re finished with the ones you’re currently using. Some companies actually print a PAO (which stands for “period after opening”) label on the product to let you know how long you should keep it. For example, if the label says 12 M, you should discontinue use after 12 months. Although PAO labels are required in Canada, they’re not in America.
Remember that some sunscreens has an expiration date printed on the container. Most makeup, on the other hand, can be used for 12 to18 months. The color and consistency may start to change a bit over time.
Eye shadows seem to last forever, but they tend to crack as they age. We recommend that you throw nail polish away after 1 year, as it can clump and turn hard. Be very careful to throw away liquid eyeliner and mascara after 6 months, since these can cause an eye infection. Over-pumping your mascara can let in more air, causing it to dry out faster. As for lip liner, skip the push-up types, as they’re expensive and tend to break, and you never really know how much you have left until you run out. Perfume can lose its specific odor after a short 3 to 6 months if it’s kept in heat or sunlight, so make sure you store it in a cool dark place, not in your car. And wash your makeup brushes every week or two with a brush cleaner or even gentle shampoo to make sure you aren’t putting any extra oil or bacteria onto your face.
You may not remember exactly when you purchased or opened a product, so just make sure to keep an eye out for any changes in odor, consistency, or color so you know when it’s time to throw it away. You’ll be left with fresh, unexpired products and your countertops will thank you!
